Latest Fact-Checks In Poverty

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Gretchen Whitmer
Gretchen Whitmer
stated on February 2, 2026 a Substack
Under Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, there are “fewer families living in poverty” than under her predecessor.
Half-True
By Amy Sherman • February 6, 2026
Donald Trump
Donald Trump
stated on June 15, 2024 remarks in Detroit
The Trump administration “achieved the lowest African American unemployment rate and the lowest African American poverty rate ever recorded.”
Half-True
By Louis Jacobson • June 20, 2024
Raphael Warnock
Raphael Warnock
stated on August 29, 2022 a speech in Albany, Ga.
The child tax credit passed under President Joe Biden “has helped 97% of the families with children who are living in poverty.”
Half-True
By Louis Jacobson • September 7, 2022
Bernie Sanders
Bernie Sanders
stated on August 29, 2021 a speech
“It is a result of the $300 per month that working parents are now receiving for their young children that we have reduced childhood poverty in the United States by 50%.”
Half-True
September 15, 2021
Joe Biden
Joe Biden
stated on February 5, 2021 an interview on CBS
“If you're making less than $15 an hour, you're living below the poverty wage.”
Half-True
By Amy Sherman • February 10, 2021
Gavin Newsom
Gavin Newsom
stated on February 19, 2020 a State of the State Address
"Back in 2005, when we did that first point-in-time count, there were over 188,000 thousand people that were deemed homeless in the state of California. … That’s 35,000 more than we have today.”
Half-True
By Chris Nichols • February 21, 2020
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez
stated on June 17, 2019 a tweet
Says Amazon is "paying full-time employees so little that they require gov food assistance."
Half-True
By Bill McCarthy • June 21, 2019
Bill de Blasio
Bill de Blasio
stated on May 17, 2019 an interview
"We’ve lifted hundreds of thousands of people out of poverty in the last five years."
Half-True
By Jill Terreri Ramos • June 10, 2019
Viral image
Viral image
stated on May 6, 2019 a Facebook post
"70% of Americans in poverty are white."  
Half-True
May 16, 2019
Marie Newman
Marie Newman
stated on April 24, 2019 a radio interview
"We’re in a situation right now where 80% of the country is living paycheck to paycheck."
Half-True
By Kiannah Sepeda-Miller • April 28, 2019
Kamala Harris
Kamala Harris
stated on April 17, 2019 a podcast
"It's clear in our country right now, almost half of American families are a $400 unexpected expense away from complete upheaval."
Half-True
By Chris Nichols • April 19, 2019
Delaware Health and Social Services
Delaware Health and Social Services
stated on January 14, 2019 a flyer
"March 2019 and on-going food benefits WILL NOT be available until further notice. Clients are encouraged to use their food benefits as soon as possible in case SNAP benefits are unavailable in March."
Half-True
By Amy Sherman • January 15, 2019
Unite Here Florida PAC
Unite Here Florida PAC
stated on August 16, 2018 a TV ad
"Gwen Graham owns a $14 million stake in her family’s company that’s behind the American Dream Mall. ... While Graham and her family will make millions, Florida will be stuck with poverty wage jobs, endangered wildlife and massive traffic congestion."
Half-True
By Amy Sherman • August 22, 2018
Luther Strange
Luther Strange
stated on September 21, 2017 a debate
Alabama is "the most generous state in the union in terms of what we give to charities."
Half-True
By Louis Jacobson • September 22, 2017
Scott Walker
Scott Walker
stated on March 23, 2017 a radio address
"Wisconsin’s economy is in the best shape it’s been since 2000."  
Half-True
By Andrew Mollica • April 13, 2017
Rand Paul
Rand Paul
stated on January 15, 2017 an interview on CNN's "State of the Union"
"The vast majority of people that got insurance under President Obama's Obamacare, the Affordable Care Act, got it through Medicaid."
Half-True
By Jon Greenberg • January 15, 2017
Donald Trump
Donald Trump
stated on October 27, 2016 a rally in Springfield, Ohio
"Nearly half of African-American children under the age of 6 are living in abject poverty."
Half-True
By Louis Jacobson • October 28, 2016
Tim Kaine
Tim Kaine
stated on October 4, 2016 the 2016 Vice Presidential debate
"First, Donald Trump said wages are too high, and both Donald Trump and Mike Pence think we ought to eliminate the federal minimum wage."
Half-True
By Amy Sherman • October 5, 2016
Paul Ryan
Paul Ryan
stated on July 18, 2016 a speech
"The poverty rates in America today aren’t much better than when we started the War on Poverty."
Half-True
By Sarah Hauer • August 5, 2016
Hillary Clinton
Hillary Clinton
stated on July 29, 2016 a speech at the Democratic National Convention
"More than 90 percent of the gains have gone to the top 1 percent."  
Half-True
By Jon Greenberg, Linda Qiu • July 29, 2016
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